Last.



H. A. BALLARD.

LAST.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1909.

151 12,402. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

w. W 5%. 12m. wwjzzaizw THE NORRIS FETERS CO4, PHOTO LITHO,, WASHING roN, D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HABRIE a. BALLARD, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'ro 'lI-IE BOYLSTON MANUFACTURING com an or scorn BOSTON, massacnusnrrs, A conrona TION OF NEW JERSEY.

. LAST.

1,112,402. j .L-I

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d t, 29 1 14 Application filed March a, 1909. .Serial No. 482,390.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRIE A. BALLARD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification. c

This invention relates to lasts and its object is to provide a last of inexpensive con rigidity to withstand strains of ordinary usage. The tongue and groove portions are so formed as to be invisible except upon the sole of the last or when it is open or in its shortened state. By soforming the last, the appearance of the instep portion is not marred except by a single dividing line. In forming the tongue and groove it is preferable that the groove be begun at the sole and continued upwardly in an inclined plane to ward but not quite to the instep. In order to compensate for the remaining stock left between the end of the groove and the instep on one part of the last, the tongue portion on the other part is by necessity terminated at a suitable distance from the instep. Suit able locking mechanism is provided for lock iug the last in its working condition and for preventing separation of the two parts when one is moved relatively to the other.

One form of construction in which the in-I vention may be embodied is illustrated upon the accompanying drawlngs of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation with a portion thereof in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the toe-part. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the heel-part. Fig. 4 is a top view of the toe-part on a line parallel to the tongue formed thereon. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing the last in its shortened condition.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

On the drawings, the forepart ofthe last is indicated at 10 and the heel-part at 11, and t y are so formed as. to abut against jdicated at 12' ieach other on a line inclined to a transverse perpendicular; plane. The abutting faces, which are visible from the exterior, are inand 13, and preferably extend from that part of the solo at the rear of the {arch to a point about midway of the instep.

In this embodiment of the invention, a t0ngue 1 1 of T-shape cross section is formed on the inclined abutting face 12 of the forepart, and "a corresponding groove 15 of T- shape cross section isformed in the abutting portion of the heel-part. The tongue extends from the sole line. part way toward the instep and terminates abruptly, while the groove 15 likewise starts at the sole line and extends part way toward the instep. The

'forepart and heel-part are assembled by placing the sole'line of the heel-part at the upper end of the tongue 14 with the abutting faces 12 and 13 in contactwith each other, and by sliding the two parts in opposite directions so as to insert the tongue in the groove. When the two parts are in the position shown by Fig. 1, the tongue and groove connection is visible only on the sole portion 5 and the only mark of division visible in the instep isthe line of the abutting faces 12 a11d13. m M i y A suitable. locking device is shown for locking thetwoparts in the position shown by F ig. 1 and for preventing removal of one part from the other when the tongue is p The moved longitudinally in the groove. locking mechanlsnr comprises a spring fol lower 16. installedin one part. and confront? ingnfaces ar'aiforded by an aperture 17 formed inthe other part. The follower 16 isJcOntained im a socket .18 and has a reduced stem 19 which extends through an aperture in the inner end of the socket 18 and which is provided with a head 20 at its extremity. A helical spring surrounding the stem 19 is compressed between the inner end of the socket 18 and the larger portion of the follower 16 and tends to project the follower toward the other part of the last. The aperture 17 is provided with a metal bushing 21.

In order to retract the follower 16 to unlock the last, a straight tool may be inserted in the outer end of the aperture 17. It is preferable that the spring follower 16 be installed in the forepart and the aperture 17 formed in the heel-part, and that a socket 22 beformed in the back wall of thegroove} 15 so as to present an abrupt shoulder 23 extending transversely of the groove. When the'follower 16 is retracted and the heel-part moved to the position shown by Fig. 6, the follower may enter the socket 22 so as to; engage the shoulder 23 and so limit the sliding movement ofthe heel-part. Ifsthe wall. of the socket 22'between the shoulder 23 and; the aperture 17 is inclined as indicated at 2-1, it'is adapted to retract the follower 16 when the:heel.part ismoved to its working position without theuse of a tool.

,Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described away of 0011- structing and. using, the same, although with- I out attempting to .set :forth all of: the :forms? in whielrit may be made or all of the modes ofits use, I. declare: that what 21 claim is :i

l. A ilast comprising .a forepart and a1 heelpart having abutting faces, :the abut-5 tingportion of one part having anundercutgrooveofinniformwidth, a portion of{ the other: part beingiin the form of .a fiangedl tongue adapted: to. slide in .said groove; and a retractible stop iniember proj ecting fromif said tongue, theilast part havingrsaid groove;

being provided with faces adapted tobe engagedzby said-stop memberto limit relative movement .in ;both directions of .the last barts and with an additional face for confiningasaid stop member-so as torprevent all relative movement,the last-parts being separable when said i stop member is retracted.

A last --comprising a forepart and a3 heel-part having abutting :faces, the abutting portion of one part having an under-j cut groove ofuniform-width, and =a:portion: of the other part being formed with a tongue flangedon =its sidesto 'fit and slide in said groove and :astop member I proj eeting fromi the abutting-portion of one of .said parts,

I the otherof said parts'havingan elongate'di recess arrangedvto receivei-saidstop member and permit lateral movement of the .same therein so: that saldg lastp arts may slide rela-i tively to. each other, said 1 recessed part "hav-i ing zaistop face atone end ofsaid :re'cess; adapted to =coaet with said stop member :to

limit such relative movement of the last parts.

3. A last comprising a forepart and a heel-part having abutting faces, the abutting portion of one part having an undereut groove of uniform width, and a portion of the other part being formed to lit and slideinsaid groove; and a stop member projecting from the abutting portion of one of said pa-rts,'the other of said parts having an elongated recess arranged to receive said :stop member and permit lateral movement of'the same thereinso that said last parts may slide relatively to each other, said recessed part having astop face at one end of .saidrecess adapted to coact with the side of said stop member, and a second recess at the oppositeend of said elongated recess, said :second recess having confronting faces arranged to coaet with opposite sides of said stop member to confine said stop member against all lateral movement.

4. A last comprising a forepart and a heel-pa-rt having abutting faces, the abut- ;ting-portion of one part having an undercut groove of uniform width, and a portion of the other part being formed to fit and slide in said groove; and a stop member projecting from the abutting portion of one ofsaid parts, the other of said parts having :two confronting stop faces arranged to coact with opposite sides of said stop member :to limit relativesliding movement of said Blast parts, said stop member being movable -;'laterally between said stop faces, a third stop face between said two stop faces and confronting one of said two stop faces to confine said stop anember against lateral. zmovement, and an inclined face arranged to coa-ct with the-endof said stop member [to move said .stop member endwise beyond said: third stop face.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HARRIE A. BALLARD.

Witnesses Gno. T. ARMSTRONG,

M. E. CAPEN.

(lopies ofthis patent mayheobtained'for five ,eentseach, by addressing'the Commissioner of I'atents.

' ;Washington,D.- C. 

